Anybody out there use Caphalon pans?

[JoC]

I am considering purchasing the hard-anodized (without the non-stick coating) Caphalon pans. However, since they are soooooo expensive, I would hate to buy them and then not like them. Does anyone out there use them? What do you think of them? Do foods stick to the ones without the Teflon coating? I'd sure like to have your thoughts on this. Thanks a million.

[Jessica]

I have the hard-anodized Calphalon pans (those are the dark ones, right?) I was fortunate in that I got a set for free. I really like having heavy pans but food does stick if you don't use a little oil or cooking spray.

I am not sure I would have paid for them, however, since I have some cheaper pans and they work well, too. I would recommend buying one pan and working with it for a while to see if you like it before you invest a small fortune. I did that with knives and it worked well for me.

[Molli526]

I have the professional non-stick and love them. They are heavier than most pans. I usually mist a bit of olive oil in the pan before I cook something and don't have any issues of food sticking (using my Misto). We did buy new utensils b/c you aren't supposed to use metal on the non-stic surfaces. I will say, washing (by hand) is a breeze, so I guess I do know some about the coating.

[donleyk]

I bought the small (8inch) omlete pan and I'm pretty happy with it. No complaints-just an observation, the handle isn't very long and heats up fairly quickly so make sure you have a pot holder handy. I like that I can clean it without having to baby it.

[Molli526]

I would also suggest doing a search, just typing in Calphalon. There have been quite a few discussions on Cookware.

To do a search, click the "search" button on the top right, type in Calphalon, and that will keep you reading for a while

[funnybone]

I have many Calphalon pieces and they are all the regular ones - except for a non-stick omlete pan. I love them. Foods stick it you put them in before the oil reaches the right temperature. Also, I heard on a TV show that if the food sticks, its because it is not ready to be turned over. Leave it longer, and it will be easier to flip.

Look for the deals or "Try Me" pans if you are not sure. I always buy mine on sale. Most stores right now have 20% off until the end of April - so hurry for the deal. I just picked up a Pasta pot recently and love it as well.

[Canice]

I have the 3-quart covered sauté pan and I looove it! It isheavy, but that's good - and it has that "helper" handle on the other side. Mine has the curved, not straight, handle which I think is the "Professional" style and I do like that feature. I got so frustrated trying to buy the right set of pots that I decided to buy whatever pieces I wanted separately and just spend more time and money collecting. The most important one was the soup (not stock) pot and only KitchenAid made one I wanted - it's perfect:D
BTW, Cooks Illustrated recently did an evaluation of cookware and the only mark (I think) against Calphalon was that there is no lip on their stuff, which make pouring messier than it needs to be. Something to consider?

[MKSquared]

I LOVE my Calphalon pans. :) I get one at a time -- that way, I'm not stuck with a bunch of pans I never use, just because they came in a set. I have the Commercial Hard-Anodized pans. You don't have to "baby" them at ALL; NASA coats satellites in the same hard-anodized stuff. A spatula isn't going to do a bit of harm. :) Non-stick pans don't offer the same browning capabilities as the regular pans.

Some people think they're too heavy. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about them at all. You can stick them under the broiler and be just fine.

[Norma]

The only thing I don't like about my Calphalon is that in spite of their weight, the bottoms are so flat that they slide around on my electric burners when I'm stirring even when filled with food. I can't stir with one hand. I need to hang onto the pot with the other. It annoys me to no end. For that reason alone, I wish I had got one at a time and used it for awhile to see how much I liked it.

[ashell]

I have the Commercial Hard Anodized too. I really love them!
Good points (IMO):
1. you can use metal utensils when cooking (my husband has a strange aversion to wooden utensils don't ask me why, so this is a plus for me)
2. You can use anything to clean them--steel wool, rough scrub pads, etc.
3. They heat evenly.
4. You can put them right in the oven/under broiler up to very high temp.
5. This may be shallow, but they are aesthetically pleasing...people often comment on "my nice pots and pans."

Not-so-good points:
1. Food does stick. Thanks funnybone for the tip about letting the oil get hot enough and waiting longer to turn foods. i'll try that.
2. They are heavier than many other pans and I will sometimes ask for help--for example, when holding a strainer with one hand and pouring from a pan/pot with the other.
3. Metal handles on pot lids get very hot and I've forgotten and burned myself a couple of times when i grabbed the lid to peek under...ow...

My thoughts! allison

[irishspy]

Originally posted by JoC
I am considering purchasing the hard-anodized (without the non-stick coating) Caphalon pans. However, since they are soooooo expensive, I would hate to buy them and then not like them. Does anyone out there use them? What do you think of them? Do foods stick to the ones without the Teflon coating? I'd sure like to have your thoughts on this. Thanks a million.

I have a few, both regular and non-stick. I think they're great, but I prefer the regular over the non-stick. (I haven't had any problem with sticking in the regular pans) My most-used are the 3.5 quart saute pan (a real workhorse! :) ), the 10" non-stick omelette pan (good for sauteeing, too), and the regular grill pan. I have no problems with sticking -- just get the pan and the fat properly hot before putting the food in. Calphalon warns against using aerosol non-stick sprays because they can leave a coating that can cause sticking, but I haven't noticed that yet. (If there is a build-up, Bon Ami is a good cleanser to use with Calphalon pans.) They work well with acidic foods, too. The hard-anodized surface resists the acid, so you don't have to worry about a metallic tang to your food.

I'd recommend buying one to see how use like it -- the 3.5 quart saute pan or a 3 qt. chef's pan might be a good way to start. I'm seriously thinking of buying a full set one of these days -- or maybe All-clad. (I'm so indecisive! :D )

[JackieO]

Eeeek...I have a bunch of individual pieces of Calphalon and Circulon pots and pans, all acquired within the last few years (WHY did I wait so long to buy decent cookware?):( I love my Calphalon everyday pan (a small Dutch oven, really). But all of my stuff is no-stick. I spent too many hours bent over scorched Revereware using Brillo, Comet, whatever, to get burned crud off to even think that I could cook with "stick-able" cookware. The stuff seems to go on sale frequently at department stores. Good luck!

[BosunsWife]

My first piece of Calphalon was the hard anodized Chef's pan. I love it. Its very versatile and use it for lots of things. I have several other smaller pans (also hard anodized) and would love to buy the big stock pot, but it will have to wait until I go back to work or come into a windfall LOL.

I'm kind of burned on expensive non stick - even though I've babied them (wooden utensils), I've still had problems. The only piece of non stick currently in my cupboard is a cheap frying pan for eggs. I have either Calphalon or All Clad (brushed stainless) pans.

[lhall]

We have two skillets. A 10'omlet pan that's the commerical hard annodized, and a 7' professional non stick.

I don't have problems with either one sticking, but I do make sure the oil is hot before putting food in the regular one. I use them almost every day. They have held up well, but I've only had the non-stick one about 2 months. Don't have any pans.

Leigh

[JoC]

Hey, thanks everyone for all your terrific input. I appreciate it greatly.

[Larry Roffee]

We have numerous Caphalon pans and are very pleased with them. I have a non-stick chef's pot and find that I don't particularly care for the non stick. I am not sure if its proper or not but I have seasoned another chef's pot and it just doesn't stick.

[gperls]

I've got a couple calphalon hard anodized pieces, and a couple all clad. I prefer the all clad. It seems to heat up faster, more evenly, and I prefer seeing my food cook against a stainless steel, rather than dark gray, background. It's easier to see the color of the food that way.

For non-stick, I've got some cheap, commercial wearever pieces. The non-stick will wear off in a few years anyway, so I don't see them as a major investment and just get what's adequate.

[Holly in KC]

I have one Calphalon piece: the "everyday pan"... like Jackie said, its basically a small Dutch oven. I love it, and would buy another in a heartbeat, but don't think I'd buy more.

This is a great pan for just about anything - and the fact that you can start the meal on the stove, then transfer to the oven is great. It works great for small pork roasts. This would be a great pan for you to "try" the Calphalon line.

That said - it is a bit of a pain to clean. All my other pans are non-stick, so I guess I'm spoiled....

My favorite pan (don't laugh) - is a non-stick saute pan from Emeril's line. Basically, its All-Clad, but for less $$$. I've had it for about a year, and I am now planning to replace my other pots & pans with either more Emeril - or more All-Clad. (The rest of my pots are T-Fal - its not bad, but its probably 10 years old now....)

[Sami]

I have a set of Capholon hard anodized and i love using it also. I find that if something sticks to the pan, I let it soak overnight and it is easy to clean the next day. One of my favorite pieces is the insert that has holes all around. I cook my pasta in that and just lift it out, and let the water drain, so that i no longer get burned by the steam as I am puring out the pasta water.

I have a gas stove, and I love the even heating of the pan.

Sami

[SusanT]

My parents have had Calphalon for years and the coatings do wear out after a long period of use. They've had to send them back several times to get pieces replaced because of this. I've never cared for Calphalon - the handles are uncomfortable and the pieces are heavy. They're not dishwasher safe either. I much prefer stainless.

[Chris415]

JoC,
I recently bought three pieces of Calphalon, two professional anodized and one non-stick. I like all of them! One thing you can do is what I did and check out Amazon.com. A few months back, Lisa3575 mentioned the Friday Sale. I bought three pieces for a song! (We're talking 60-70% off!) So now I go back every Friday to see what's on sale, and frequently they'll have a piece here or there. You could try one at a less expensive price and see how you like it.

Chris

[vbak]

I have many pieces of Calphalon and I purchased them separtely so I could have a variety of pieces to fit my needs. I have no problem with them; they clean up easily. I have one non-stick fry pan and the rest are the dark grey ones. Look for sales . I would try the dutch oven or the sauteuse[sp] pan first. I use these all the time. Vicky

[Sami]

Susan,

Were those pots the non stick? If so, friends have them and are not happy with them. I have had my pots for 11 years and they are as good as new. I have them hanging from a rack in the kitchen, and people always omment on how good they look.

I have 1 All Clad pot also, and I like that as well. I think the suggestion of trying a pot from each of the different series is a good idea to see how they perform. There are frequently sales on the 1 quart pan and the small omelet pan, so you can pick them up very cheaply.

Sami